This invention relates to a water display installation generating two-dimensional flow patterns, the overflow channel used therein and the working method for said installation.
The creation of water screens is not new and numerous procedures are already in use. However the apparatus and materials currently implemented present major drawbacks due to:
complexity of operation,
restrictive dimensions,
low mechanical ruggedness,
bad endurance over time and vulnerability to bad weather.
Accordingly, until now the proposed systems fail to meet a certain number of requirements.
In contrast, the present invention presents a high degree of flexibility in terms of size and shape, and offers a great mobility at low construction and maintenance costs.
The adaptability of the process is based on a combination of several significant innovations:
air permeability and visual transparency thanks to the size of the net mesh,
large span construction scalable in terms of both height and width
lightness and tolerance thanks to multiple adjustment points,
low volume reservoirs thanks to a maximum water spread
The object of the invention is to create a water display installation enabling to form a thin film of water flowing over both faces of a translucent wall, thus generating two-dimensional flow patterns.
This object is attained by means of an installation comprising an overflow device which integrates:
a reservoir provided with an overflow lip extending along the full length of one of its sides; said reservoir being designed to be filled with a liquid.
a water conduit oriented according to direction approximately parallel with the lip, incorporating multiple perforations giving into the reservoir, and characterized by a filtering foam contained in said reservoir and positioned between the conduit and the overflow lip,
a beam located outside the reservoir on the side opposite the lip.
adjustable brackets designed to support the reservoir against the beam, these brackets being fixed to the beam by means of a rear back plate and are fitted with adjusting means to enable them, and thus the reservoir, to be moved vertically wit respect to the beam.
A wall in the form of a net, one end of which is fixed to the reservoir, fits the profile of the lip and extends beyond said reservoir.
The invention also includes a collector comprising:
An opening designed to let the net wall pass,
A suction pump,
A filtering system interposed between the opening and the pump. This system should preferably be composed of a mesh filter extending over the entire length of said collector.
The collector according to the invention, may be simply placed on the ground or introduced into a trench dug in the soil.
The net wall used in the invention is preferably made of nylon thread (polyamid-6,6), such as a fishing net or like. The size and shape of the mesh, as well as the composition of the thread of which the net is made will vary according to the desired flow patterns and will depend on the height of the installation. A diamond shaped mesh measuring from 3 to 5.5 mm could be used although this is not restrictive. In addition, a thread with a fiber count of approximately 100 thru 435 tex (10,000 to 2,300 linear meters per kilogram) may be used although this is not restrictive.
The net is advantageously fixed to the reservoir by a bar threaded through the net mesh, at the level of one end of the net. This bar abuts against two flat sections or battens hinged together so as to grip the net, one of these battens being fixed such as by welding to the reservoir. Alternatively, the net may be fixed to said reservoir by any other suitable fixation means. The net may be hung freely from the reservoir and may be given a draped, pleated or waved appearance. The net should however also be fixed at the other end in order to be held taut. For this, attachments may be advantageously provided for the opposed end of the net, associated with a means of tensioning the net. This could for example take the form of a weighted tube or rod along the entire length of the net, supported by the net in the vicinity of its opposed end.
The cross section and the length of the reservoir can be variable, depending on the desired configuration of the water display installation. The reservoir could thus be curved, rectilinear, or polygonal, with circular, rectangular, square or trapezoid transverse section.
The reservoir is fitted with at least one overflow side, enabling the liquid to spill over an overflow lip and down the net.
The submerged water conduit running along all the length of the reservoir with multiple perforations to distribute the liquid into the reservoir and a filtering foam along all the length of said reservoir ensure a uniform flow of liquid from one end of the lip to the other. This will prevent the formation of eddies and ensures an even flow of liquid down the full length of the wall. This parameter is particularly critical when a very thin curtain of liquid is desired on the net wall.
The use of a floating filtering foam with a saturated density close to that of the water after filling of its pores, ensures that the water surface is evened out before it brims over. The foam filter is a determining feature of the invention as it enables water flow to be minimized and, consequently, the volume and weight of the reservoir to be reduced. This in turn makes for easy adjustment of the support brackets even during operation.
In fact, to obtain a film of liquid as thin as 0.8 to 2.7 mm over a net about 6 m high, requires a flow of liquid as low as 5 to 16 liters per minute per linear meter of the net. Even slight variations in such a small flow can lead to variations in the thickness of the liquid film which will result in undesirable disturbances in the flow patterns created by the net.
The homogeneity of the flow is more improved by moving the reservoir up and down by means of the adjusting means which enables the horizontality of the lip to be adjusted micrometrically to compensate for movement, uneven ground or distortion of the materials.
The water display installation according to the invention can be used in a variety of applications, in particular as an exterior decorative feature and/or partition or in any other type of premises.
The invention relates also to an operating method used to obtain a continuous film of liquid presenting two-directional flow patterns over a wall, comprising the following steps
a) the attachment of a net to a reservoir fitted with an overflow lip,
b) the supply of said liquid into the reservoir at a chosen flow rate from a conduit, through a plurality of perforations located successively along a direction parallel to the lip,
c) the passage of the liquid through a filtering foam positioned in said reservoir,
d) the adjustment of the lip by leveling the reservoir relative to a beam positioned outside the reservoir on the side opposite the lip, so that the liquid brims over from the reservoir in a controlled flow down the net wall.